5 Die In Rollover After Pursuit By Border Patrol Agents

Five people died this weekend when a van traveling in southern Arizona rolled over as it was being pursued by Border Patrol agents.

According to Boston.com, there were 22 people in the van at the time of the incident.

The vehicle was traveling between Tucson and Benson, Arizona when it rolled over and crashed on the side of the highway. Rural / Metro Fire spokesman Willie Treatch said that the van was being pursued by Border Patrol agents at the time of the crash. Treatch did not know why the van was being pursued.

According to AZ Central, the crash occurred at about 9 pm Saturday night on I-1o near State Route 83 just south of Tucson.

The 17 survivors were taken to hospitals in the Tuscon area for treatment. A few of the survivors were transported via helicopter. The extent of their injuries is not known at this time.

This is the second fatal crash involving the Border Patrol this year. Last March, six people were killed and another nine were injured when a pickup truck crashed into a security barrier in Texas. The border patrol classified the people who perished in that crash as “undocumented immigrants.”

The Border patrol has not commented on the legal status of the people involved in today’s crash.